The Cigarette
by Lays
Summary: Solid Snake sends a bottle letter for Samus. He just wants to say some things to her.
1. Oneshot: The Cigarette

_Dear reader,_

**Thanks a lot for clicking on this!** Suddenly I got an idea and wrote this short one-shot quickly. It's from Solid Snake's perspective. It's about a futile letter he wrote to Samus. I hope you enjoy it! ^_^

**Disclaimer: Nothing from Konami or Nintendo, except this fanfic.

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**- The Cigarette –**

Hey Sam,

I don't know what to say to you. I'm not any romantic prince or the sort, and I'm not planning to use any fancy vocabulary. I could write a formal letter but I don't want to be pretending to be a better person than I actually am. Heh, hope you can read it, despite my lousy handwriting.

Just some honest words from me. I wanted to tell you this long before. I never had the chance to say it back then, and even though I got the chance I doubt I had the courage to tell you. I never liked talking, someone always pursue to a point when conversations get damn personal and invasive. Hell, I hated conversations. I swear you're tired from this old geezer's complains. I'll stick to the point instead of boring the hell out of you. Whether you ever hear from me again, I doubt about, but I say it anyway.

I've been thinking. About my life, the future, basically anything that a man would think about sometimes in his long life. Nah, you would be too bored from my old war stories. I mean, we both were practically soldiers, we just don't wanna hear more from that. While I was thinking, you popped into my mind. Then I thought about us together. Maybe I've never been truly honest to you. And I barely talked to anyone, even though I started to trust you.

I got this crazy idea. I bet you'll kill me when you ever heard me call you like that. No joking, you'll blast my head off with that freaking arm cannon of yours. You'll hate this comparison, but I'm serious, Sam. When I think of you, I think of all the cigarettes I smoked in all these years.

You disliked cigarettes, you still remember? Nah, I bet you don't. But I do, you asked me for one, just to try it. I thought you were the type of girl that smoked, you just seemed like one. Immediately when you took the first puff you threw my cigarette away. Your face was priceless, you looked so disgusted, but in a nice way. Yeah, I'm crazy you would say. You never had a thing with cigs, yet you remind me so much of them.

You don't have to look this negative at them. I mean, they got this nice tall slender figure, right? I don't want this to come across offensively like straight from a dirty pervert, but I have to admit that you are one of the prettier girls I've seen in my life. I understand your urge to beat the crap out of them when an average guy says that to you. But take it from me, cigarettes aren't just things for me. People prefer them as things, you put them in the mouth, smoke them and when they're burned to nothing they are disposed.

Sorry for tracking off, this statement got me thinking about those fucking assholes. Right when I mentioned the mouth, images of those bastards appeared. I heard it from her, she told me what they did to you, even though you told her to keep it a secret from me. Strangely enough, I am glad at the same time. I'm happy that I never got to taste you. You hated physical contact and men, I perfectly understand your reasons. I'm just happy enough that I didn't hurt you even more. Looking back now, I should be with you back then, but I just didn't know how to comfort you. Even though you appeared so strong and indestructible, you were still a vulnerable young woman. I'm sorry if it appeared like I rejected you, I didn't mean to.

Hey, you know, you shouldn't feel bad about yourself. You're still young and damn pretty.

You know what crap they also say about cigarettes? Cigs kill you and increases the risk of getting cancer. Heh, of course I know because I've seen these damn words pretty often. They're scattered literally on each package. Whatever they say, people still continue smoking, right? They may say cruel things about you and bad things about your past. But wasn't it you that told me to be strong? You taught me to step over the past, although your methods were slightly harsh, even for a man like me. You always told me to make the best from life and never give up. You were doing pretty well and I'm sure the goddesses will be watching over you. I never believed in any religion, yet I can't find a reason why she's lying. Don't let those bastards step on you, alright Sam?

A bit of a roundabout, but I finally I get to the point why I admire the damn good cigarettes. It isn't merely about the nicotine and the addicting effect that hooked me up. Yeah, I also have to admit this too, I was quite addicted to you. You were a different kind of woman than most I've met, but definitely from the interesting kind.

Cigs are loyal accompany at different times. When I feel stressed or depressed I smoke one, they make me less nervous. When my body got shivering in cold conditions like in Shadow Moses, I lit up a cigarette and inhale the warm familiar smoke. I always carry the faithful packages within my pockets. They made me feel more comfortable, same way you used to comfort me. You always stayed close to me.

How hard I attempted to drive you away because I found you annoying at times, were like futile attempts of kicking the old habit. I never succeeded to stop smoking, because deep in my heart I told myself that I need the good old cigs. I needed them as much as I needed you. The cigs had a long history with me, it started when I was a kid around thirteen and never stopped since then. It seemed like I had known you for a long time, although we were introduced to each other some year ago. Maybe it was our past that connected us so fittingly. Neither of us has led a truly happy life and we had so many similarities.

Hell, I cared that they kill or give you cancer. They're like you Sam, you were one of the most hostile woman I'd known. You weren't the friendliest girl and violence was your greatest speciality. You literally killed me, or should I say figuratively? It just feels horrible to interrupt the nostalgia, and the departure felt even worse.

You see, when you smoke too much in your life you got tired from it. When you reach a certain age, you just see things differently. Even the things I'm so familiar with become alienated towards my eyes. It almost makes me vomit. I realised that my loyal cigarettes are starting to depress me even more. I just want to get over with and stop smoking.

I found this special person. I gave you this crazy metaphor but I don't know how to describe her. It's not a normal feeling that can be described with simple words. She does not give a feeling which I'm familiar with, yet the unknown feeling is very pleasant. It's not anything like cigarettes, it is nice, soothing, serene and very comforting for an old man like me. She's a very special girl to me. You're special too, Samus, don't ever forget that. She used to be your best friend, didn't she? Don't blame her. It wasn't her fault. Zelda never betrayed you. She always wanted us to stay together. And don't blame yourself, okay? I don't want you to feel inferior after all what had happened. I know this feeling more than well, and it hurts me greatly if you have to suffer like that.

I just heard this from some outside source. They say that your life went pretty bad the moment you disappeared from the world. Some say that you returned back from where you came from, back to bounty hunting. I don't know what to say about it. I hope it isn't a choice against your will. You can't force things each time, Sam.

Sometimes, I just wished I had introduced my friend to you. He's a younger man than me but I know him well. He's crazy about you each time I tell him about you. That guy certainly will treat you with respect. He's too shy and not good with women, however that's his charm. As far as I'm concerned Otacon is a true gentleman, but most of the time he spends with telling you things you're never interested in.

I guess you're laughing at me instantly when you hear that I'm genuinely interested in princess Zelda. All these prissy princes like Marth tried to win her love, but all failed their missions. Then some ugly outsider likes the princess, while they thought he stood no chance. However, I always prefer you smirking than crying alone, remember that Sam. I don't know what more I can add.

With love,

David

P.S. When you find this bottle letter, just don't bother finding the person to whom it is addressed. Actually, it's not that important for me. You must travel through the whole galaxy to find the right woman. And if you do manage to give her this letter, by then, I'm probably already dead. So, don't waste the time in your life alright, you'll regret.

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**Thanks for reading (till the end)! You made the author extremely happy. ^_^ Reviews are welcome.**

I had an idea for a fic but every time when I focus on a complete story consisting of several chapters I never manage to finish it. It is inspired by the numerous Snake x Zelda on this fanfiction site.

Here they got in a love triangle and Snake ended up with Zelda eventually. Actually a lot should happen beforehand but I haven't written them (and I never will). I used to like the pairing Snake x Samus although I have not written a story yet where they are real pairs, because for some reason I find it very difficult. I'm so easily brainwashed, suddenly I start to like Snake x Zelda pairing. :P That's why Samus is left alone, sad isn't it?

But there's hope... HINT: I'll like to see more Otacon x Samus. If you have written a story with that pairing I'll like to read it. :D Probably no one will ever do something as random as that, which means that I'm going to bombard this place with HalSam! ...Just joking.


	2. Oneshot: Cute

_Dear reader,_

**Thank you very much for continuing!** I had once said that 'The Cigarette' is a one-shot. Well, it is a one-shot, but I actually got a whole story with it. So this is a sequel to that one-shot, but it cannot be really considered as a next chapter as it does not connect seamlessly. The fanfic's title will remain the same, but this is not about cigarettes at all, instead it is random scene with HalSam. They are more of a strange couple, but still cute because Otacon is an adorably lovely guy. Supposed to be non-angst, but ended up slightly angsty. I apologise for OOC-ness, because they can be present. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy it! ^_^

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Nintendo or Konami

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**- Cute -**

"So... with the eyes ridiculously large and body disproportionally small, you always see me as an immature person with an over-sized head. Hmmph. Just like a stubborn bighead child. I should have expected it from you." Samus coldly said when she managed to take a peek of his drawing. She turned around and walked away from him.

"Wait! I'm sorry!" Otacon nervously shouted back. "No, not at all! I didn't mean it." He mentally slapped himself. _Why am I apologising_?_ She is wrong! I don't think about her like that. Hal... think of something good to say. Arrgh, I shouldn't draw the stupid drawing in the first place._ The brunette was lost of words. Everything that came up in his mind wouldn't sound good enough in reality. When she was about to leave his house, he collected his determination and finally spoke.

"S-...Samus! L-.. let me explain!" he cried out and quickly adjusted his glasses because they nearly dropped when he stood up so sudden. The woman stared back at him, with a face lacking of amusement, but not exactly angry... fortunately. Maybe she would listen, he should try.

"Uhm... this is called a chibi." explained Hal with a soft shy voice. He picked up the drawing and brought it to her, so she got a better view of it. If there was one thing that puzzled her at the moment, it was the word chibi. Never ever had Samus heard anything like that. It slightly reminded her of the Chozo, but she already had a feeling that it has nothing to do with it. When Otacon saw the confused look on her face, he decided that he should explain her.

"Chibi translated in Japanese is associated with small. So this is basically my depiction of chibi you. I call her Chibi Sammy! I know I didn't draw it as well as I should. For example the legs should be..." the male enthusiastically blabbered on until he saw Samus' expression. The blonde was bored and she wasn't even listening at him.

"Well, believe me or not. People consider this as cute." he said.

"What's so cute about this abomination with such inaccurate portrayal of the human anatomy?" she fired back.

"I don't know. But polls speak for itself, and, I, uh, as a scientist believe in things like empiricism. This graph show that among the otakus, 79% picked chibi depictions as their favourite form of art style. You know, it isn't that bad. I chibify myself many times. I even did one for Solid Snake." the brunette opened about fifty files from his computer. (O_o Gaudi, Hal's personal computer, would say if he had expressions) Some are digital drawings and others were surveys. They were too goofy looking in Samus' taste, while Otacon was secretly proud of the arranged pixels he saw on the monitor.

"And why would you draw me in that way? What you consider _cute_." she asked in a monotone voice as if she wasn't interested in the answer in the first place. However if Otacon wasn't mistaken he heard a slight voice change on the word 'cute'. He shuddered. It was the moment of truth. Should he reveal it or should he not reveal it? And plus the fact that Samus was looking straight into his eyes didn't put him more at ease. _It was a soothing hue of mint..._ _Oh no, she's tapping her feet. She's becoming impatient..._

He regretted that he drew her in chibi style. It was impossible to hide a piece of paper, particularly hiding it from the galaxy's toughest bounty huntress. But he had to express his feelings. Sooner or later she will find out. _Why had I drawn her? She's scary at times, just like now... However, I know that beneath that thick suit of armour and unfriendly appearance, there hides a sweet lady. Maybe a rather strange lady. Yet so kawaii. Besides that, she got a pretty nice Power Suit. Maybe I should rethink my current designs? Ah, I get off-topic! Just tell her about God-knows-what. Yes, her beautiful eyes and her lovely smile... which is the complete opposite of now... Act now, Hal, if you cherish your life! _Then Otacon had taken a demeanour which was unknown and unexpected to him. It was the bravest thing he had ever said in his past ten years.

"Because Samus, in my opinion, you're a cute lady." he coolly spoke with some hints of underlying suaveness. Nobody knew where the suave part came from, he just managed to speak that way, and he finished off with an adjustment of his glasses. Then the next thing became unpredictable. He left her wordless, as if some magic spell had worked, which caused her to be mesmerised by his voice. The moment of pause began to irritate the man. He wanted to add something, but she was faster.

"Really _cute_ of you." She responded sarcastically and rolled her green eyes. Emmerich's heart was shattered, however he couldn't express it. _I don't need to be protected. I promised Dave to be a real man. Real men don't cry._ The drawing with chibi Sammy slipped from his hands and landed on top of the floor, where it remained for the rest of the day.

---

A week had passed. The drawing was nowhere to be found. It could be thrown away in the dustbin, slipped beneath the couch, forgotten in whatever place. It didn't matter anymore. Otacon saw her reaction. Samus wasn't furious, however she wasn't too happy either. If a drawing could upset her, so be it that it mysteriously disappeared. She probably used it for her target training and he could imagine the little paper being engulfed by the heat of plasma beam.

However the scientist had never given up. Looks can betray. He might seem to be a coward or wimp, but his undying crushes for certain ladies will never falter. And Samus Aran was one of them. Her hostility and anger issues had no effect on him. Otacon was simply too nice to blame her for anything. In his childhood years he was scolded by other children for his clumsiness and oddness. Hal was immune to negative words, his fear was physical abuse though. Samus wouldn't use random violence on him or make fun of him, so he was already more than content.

In fact she isn't as cold and emotionless as she appeared. That was the notion he persistently believed in. Sometimes late at night, he couldn't sleep very well. Then he will just close his eyes, and hopefully falls asleep this way. In his living room there is the always-present meditating hymn of Gaudi. When the humming can't put the otaku into hibernation, he goes off focusing on other sounds. And he always hears footsteps, which he later on discovered that they belong to her. Samus was a poor sleeper as well and at night she checked upon him. Not that she did anything, she just stood there in his spare pyjama and after a while she returned to his former bedroom.

Otacon also remembered that one time, his blanket had fallen on the floor, but he was too sleepy to pick it up. It was autumn and the helpful radiator didn't want to function properly. It was cold and he couldn't help but sneeze. Then he realised that she was watching him and the man immediately pretended to be sleeping. She walked over to him and placed the blanket over his body.

Another thing happened when Hall got in her spaceship. He still felt guilty for allowing it to happen. The man ended up in her bed, while she slept on the floor. _It was improper! A lady should never sleep on the floor, it was wrong in so many ways. But she said that I was a weakling and that I couldn't handle the hard steel tiles. Samus was right, I get backache very fast._ Otacon was extremely touched by these actions. However he was also slightly sad. At that time when she was close with that blanket, a streak of moonlight lighted up her face, and he recalled to witness sorrow in her eyes. He wished he wasn't so shy and dared to talk with her about her troubles.

---

The bounty huntress sat inside the study room which has the qualities of a library, the section of a manga freak, to be exact. It was one of Dr. Emmerich's hobbies, so it seems. Several books were littered on the carpet floor. And guess what, they weren't even manga. She had read his book collection partially, just out of curiosity what 'normal' human beings like to read. To be honest, Samus was quite surprise by his choice of books and before she knew she was reading a book written by whatever Stephen Hawking to compare the findings from little earthlings like us in comparison to the science from the ancient Chozo. Since she was a quick reader, she finished it within a negligible time. The woman already discovered the countless flaws in his theories, however she didn't know whom she should actually tell. The female perked up instantly when she heard approaching footsteps.

_Damnit... He hates it when anybody touches his precious books. I should quickly put them back. Great... _She stared to the rows with over thousands of books, all arranged neatly. For some reason she got a feeling that he took more than just a whole day to put them exactly in this order. And ruining these kinds of things can be considered in the top 3 frustrations of an otaku. It was utmost rude to touch them without asking beforehand. Samus however couldn't remember where she picked them up. Generally speaking, her attitude towards other people isn't that appropriate to begin with. She behaved bitchy every time and she was certain that this time he will kick her out of his house. _Screw it._ She randomly forced the books in any cranny she could find in the racks. The blonde turned her head around and there he stood, right before her.

"Uhm... hi Samus." he started.

"Hey." she tersely responded.

"I heard some noise in my study room... huh? Are you alright? You look slightly off." asked Otacon with concern in his voice. He even went up close and inspected her face as if there was something terribly wrong with it.

"I'm fine." she answered while shoving a certain book out of his view. To make matters worse he had seen her little action and his eyes brightened with more sparkles than ever before. His brown iris glistened through the glass with the greatest excitement an otaku can muster. Apparently Hal Emmerich had always wanted to know where her interests lie, and she added even a twinkle of suspense by acting mysterious and enigmatic.

He circled around her curiously, but the bounty huntress was agile. The woman knew that it was stupid to hide something from its rightful owner, but she couldn't afford to allow him of knowing. She was always one step ahead of the scientist, and Otacon failed to catch up. However being one of the major designers of Metal Gear REX, he got a twisted calculated mind, so he already had a Plan B as his trump card. A different way to find out, is simply finding out which book was missing, which was child play for Otacon. He inspected his books and instantly found the missing link.

"ZVARRI!" Otacon shouted and impersonated a certain ace detective. Samus yelped from shock. _This man cannot be underestimated... _By twist of events she revealed the book like an accused culprit revealing her crime. She knew that there was no use to hide it longer.

'CHIBI FOR DUMMIES' the familiar book with yellow and black cover from the DUMMIES series was in found in her hand. A joyful smile appeared on the brunette's face. Who would have thought that the ruthless intergalactic bounty huntress had this side? Otacon could sense her potential. She was a newbie otaku at the moment, but with the right education and lifestyle, he could change her into a hardcore 24/7 otaku. At least, finally, he got another person beside David, Colonel Campbell, Mei Ling, and Meryl to share his anime, manga, or videogames related ideas.

Then he found another thing which he didn't expect. A white paper was stuck between some pages and he opened the book to grab it. Samus wanted to stop him, but she couldn't do anything anymore when he had the full view of it. Otacon was amazed and completely surprised, when he retrieved exactly the same drawing with chibi Sammy. _No, this can't be the same. _It included a nice addition which wasn't there before. Next to chibi Sammy was an adorable representation of chibi Hal [which makes all Otacon fangirls squeal]. _She drew me._ He hated to admit, but his eyes became slightly teary from emotion.

"Wow! You're a professional mangaka, Sam!" he responded as he felt to compliment her. By her look, he could see that she didn't need any compliment. Samus dropped her head down. _Is she feeling embarrassed because of me?_

"What do you mean?" she abruptly snapped and pulled the paper from his hand. Within the same instant she tore it into two.

"You beheaded us." was all he could say. _Ah no, I should comfort her now! _Without taking her eyes away from the slips, she was engulfed by unexplained rage and shred them into hundreds of separated pieces. Otacon didn't know what to do about her outburst. The next thing he saw were tiny shreds of paper laying on the floor like after a heavy snowstorm. She collected the snow-like pieces herself and disposed them in the bin. After that, the woman went to a different room and locked herself up. Samus skipped her evening meal, and Otacon knew that this time it wasn't based on his cooking skills (or the lack of it).

_---_

It was the same evening. The clock just went past 8 o'clock. She hadn't eaten anything yet or come out of his room. He began to worry about her. The scientist grabbed some slices of bread from his refrigerator and placed them on a plate. He almost wanted to add a chicken egg, but decided that it wasn't a good idea, after some thoughts. When the man finished the plain sandwich he went and knocked on the door. No response.

About a month had passed since she came. The huntress was very quiet in the previous days when she stayed in his place. Samus barely spoke with him. And Otacon hadn't taken her out yet to public places, except some walks in the park and the local supermarket. The blonde was wearing his clothes, since their length and sizes quite match, and she never complained. He felt helpless, and wished that Mei Ling could come along and give him support, but she was living in Hawaii and won't appear anytime soon.

He has always kept the promise in mind. He promised David to look after her in his place. Sometimes he wondered whether it was more than the promise that kept him for allowing her to stay. Otacon had always wanted her to feel at place. Not just the feeling of home, but to give her a safe feeling, and maybe some care as well. But she just wouldn't accept his kindness. _Am I doing it wrong?_ _Am I not good enough?_ He knocked on the door once again.

Samus finally opened the door and came out. They exchanged silent glances. He gave her the plate and she thanked him softly. Then she hungrily wolfed down the bread. After that she handed back the plate. He expected that she would slam the door shut, but she didn't.

"Why are you so nice to me?" the woman suddenly asked, "I'm a horrible person. Can't you see it... Hal?" It was the first time she used his name. He was slightly caught off guard, because he didn't see the question coming. But the answer was simple and he didn't have to be dishonest about it.

"No you are not." He kindly uttered.

"I don't need all your kindness... I don't deserve it." she pushed on. That was when the brunette's patience started to vaporise.

"You can leave my house if you want, no one forces you to stay," Emmerich pronounced in such stern tone, which caused her to back off. She had never seen the always friendly man with such solemn face before. He pointed firmly at the front door, almost shooing her away. He was serious. Samus wanted to run far away, she didn't want to appear a weakling. _I'm... I'm not depending on this coward who has to get his damn ass rescued every time. I don't need any man. I don't need anyone! _She was lying to herself. It felt better when she pretended all tough, even chanting words in her mind which had very little meaning for her. At the same time, she wanted to stay. If she ran away, he would see her as a weak person who follow and obey all orders without thinking. _I can't give up so easily. Hell I care this is house. Nobody can boss me around! _The longer she thought about the safe haven he offered, the more uneasily she felt. Hal Emmerich did so many things for her, and she could not repay him back by any way. _He doesn't need me. I'm always a burden to him... to anyone. A fucking parasite._

The woman before him wasn't the strong, tall bounty huntress he heard about from legendary rumours. She wasn't the confident Samus Aran he personally knew, who didn't hesitate when decisive decisions had to be taken. There she stood, numb and unable to act. Her face twitched, she bit her lip to prevent any emotions to be exposed. Nevertheless Hal could make up the mixture of raw emotions; simmering anger from being rejected, flurries of sadness from being rejected, and the most prominent of all, the lurking fear from being rejected. _I didn't want to hurt her like this._

"But I know why you didn't go away. Because nobody likes to be alone. Am I right, Samus?" he could see through her and her lies. No matter how she acted or behaved, Otacon seemed to see her differently than her appearance. She decided that she should be honest to him and spoke the truth. Samus walked over to his bed and sat down. The scientist instinctively followed suit and sat closely next to her.

"It's always been like this. I find it very difficult to like someone. But I trusted him. I thought that David would stay with me... forever... Maybe not that kind of forever like in those bullshit, but I thought he would never leave me, except by death. Hal, you don't know how happy I was. I had never felt so happy before in my life. I couldn't process it very well when he chose a different woman... Zelda of all people. And I thought I deserved it, because I've never been a good person, while everyone else is so... pure. That's why I left for a _better _place." Samus took a few deep breaths, and her voice became much calmer to the man's relief. Even he himself was shocked by his own previous behaviour. He pulled a stunt like this before with Dave and it luckily turned out well. But at a situation like this, it could end up even worse. He couldn't even think about the different possibilities of her reactions.

"I wished I could forget everything and I kept telling myself that I don't need sympathy. Nobody give a damn about you when you enter some abandoned colony with some pests waiting to be extinguished. Nobody give a damn when you die in a forgotten grave. Nobody can judge me, as there's nobody who knows me, except myself." she paused shortly, which gave them a brief moment to look in each other's eyes without disturbance.

"I hated your kindness, Hal. You're never angry when I always behave like a bitch. Sometimes I even wished that you treat me harshly or sent me away to whatever unknown place. But in reality I appreciate it very much..." the man took off his glasses. Secretly, without her noticing, he wept his eyes with the sleeve of his woollen black turtleneck. _I-.. I'm fine. I'm not crying..._

"Thank you, Hal. For hearing me out and for all what you have done. I'm grateful for your hospitality and I'll never forget your sympathy. It's just... I find it really difficult to love someone back." she admitted at the end.

"You're welcome. I mean for your thanks, eh... and I mean a place to stay. Samus, you're not the only one here who finds it difficult... to love someone back." His voice shook a bit. He didn't want her to notice his feelings, so he quickly had to change the subject about a less serious issue.

"So by the way, what are going to do next?" he carefully questioned.

"Finish this." She showed him a nearly finished mosaic-like picture, which was found on the nightstand. The picture was instantly recognised by the otaku.

"Oh my... You took all the effort to mend it back in one piece?" his question was filled with full surprise.

"Yeah, it was nothing." she replied in her usual cool manner. Chibi Sammy and chibi Hal, who were torn apart, are now almost fixed by her own hands. The colourful tiny couple, who are free from any worries, looked extremely blissful on the picture. The scientist couldn't take his eyes off from the bighead (according the way she would call) version of himself. Of course the chibis didn't look as good as in the original drawing, as visible clefts are still seen between the separated pieces. The meandering lines run through the two characters like inerasable scars, but no matter what, they stayed happily together.

"Oh, they're closer together." He remarked.

"You noticed." The white gap between the two chibis was narrowed, and he secretly wished that it had influence as well to real life. Samus, in contrary, hadn't shared him the reason why she removed some of the paper pieces in between. It was neither related to anything artistic. Nor was it a power tip from 'CHIBI FOR DUMMIES', a book even she couldn't believe she has read. _It just felt natural to place them closer. However chapter three, page 35 from the book explains that every artist has his or her own intentions behind a piece. I wonder whether he finds out mine._

"Hey Sam. You know, we should put it behind frames and hang it on the wall! On a place where every visitor can see it clearly!" the man exclaimed.

"Geez, is it necessary?" Samus rolled her eyes, but managed to put on a smile. A smile with cuteness comparable as her chibi counterpart. No even cuter than the drawing, Hal Emmerich mused as he allowed her to rest against his shoulder.

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**Thanks for reading till the end! ^_^ Reviews are welcome.**The OOC-ness wasn't too horrible, I hope. I don't like an emotionally weak Samus, and yet I made her extremely weak. I dislike writing kissing scenes, so I left that out. Actually whether they ends up kissing afterwards / go even further with you-know-what is not significant or relevant to any plot. If you support HalSam as well... Awesome! I'm encouraging this couple. Let me know when you pair them up. :D

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[Otacon blasted down the Fourth Wall by shooting some missiles from REX]

Hal: "Hey You, Otaku! (Meant as parody on 'Hey You, Pikachu!') Are you going to post our drawing on DeviantArt?"

Laius: "Hmm, I'll think about it, Mr. Emmerich."

Samus: "Don't trust this person. Laius is a notorious con artist according to the wanted list of the Federation. [She ran through a different Fourth Wall in her Power Suit]

Hal: "Really? Are you a con artist?"

Laius: "Do you trust that woman or do you trust me, the most powerful psychic in existence?"

Samus: "If you believe all that crap on Lays' profile."

Hal: "I thought that the most powerful psychic was The Sorrow who deceased long time ago. Psycho Mantis cannot be underestimated either. Well, we have many crazy people here in MGS."

Laius: "But wait. I believe that Ms. Aran promised that she will not wear her Power Suit anymore because it's not what people on Planet Earth wear."

Hal: "No problem. Look, we have Metal Gears and cyborg ninjas... Wait, did someone mention cyborg ninjas? [scared]

Samus: "You just did."

Hal: "Sssst. L-.. can y-.. you ch-... check whether Gr-... [hides in closet]

Samus: "Damn it. I ran out of missiles. Hey you, go check whether Gray Fox returned!"

Laius: "..." [hides in a different closet than Otacon]

---

Laius: "Uhm... I think the Fourth Wall is repaired by unknown cause. So Otacon and Samus were forced back into the story. It happened to be the case that Gray Fox managed to slip in by some Plot Hole. Huh!? Does this mean that I'm the only one here stuck with Gray Fox!? O_o"


End file.
